Since joining Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in 2001, Dr. Redling has combined a multitude of previously existing services and designed new programs and services to create a comprehensive Division of Geriatrics. It is one of only four Geriatric Centers in New Jersey. “We provide a holistic approach to care that involves the entire health care team and family members,” explains Dr. Redling.
“My grandparents were great role models in my life. I have never thought of aging as a negative thing,” Dr. Redling reflects. “My patients can make me laugh-- they are wonderful people and I enjoy getting to know them and their entire families. Our team can make a huge positive impact an older person’s life by paying attention to the small details.” The Division of Geriatrics offers a multitude of resources at the hospital and in the community that support elderly patients medically, cognitively and functionally.
“The transition to hospice care is about comfort and symptom management,” says Dr. Redling. “It is very difficult to deliver bad news and explain alternative palliative treatments to someone no matter what their age. I promise my patients that they will not suffer. I believe there is always something more I can do for them—even if it is just to reassure.”
“It is very painful to watch your patient become ill or die, so I work hard to find balance in my life,” Dr. Redling says. She credits her husband and children, ages 7 and 9, with helping her keep perspective in her life. Her office walls are filled with her children’s artistic creations as a daily reminder of the positive energy of youth. Dr. Redling is also a musician who plays the flute and is learning to play the cello.
Dr. Redling will leave her mark as an extraordinary caregiver and as an educator. She is dedicated to advancing the training in geriatric medicine among medical students and residents.
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